Volume 3 Chapter 11

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Volume 3 Chapter 11: The Purple Mark

"Xu Qingfan, stay behind, I have something to say to you."

Just as Xu Qingfan was following the other four outside the hall, Zhang Hualing’s voice suddenly sounded again.

Hearing Zhang Hualing, Xu Qingfan paused, unsure of why he was being called to stay behind. The other four glanced at Xu Qingfan curiously, but said nothing and quietly left the hall, leaving Xu Qingfan alone to await Zhang Hualing’s words.

Xu Qingfan has mixed feelings about Zhang Hualing. He still clearly remembers Zhang Hualing’s heartless actions after his master passed away, like turning Lu Huayan’s artifacts into public property and confiscating his old residence. At that time, Xu Qingfan was full of disgust and resentment towards Zhang Hualing, thinking him to be hypocritical and greedy, playing with power without the grace of a true cultivator.

However, as the years went by and Xu Qingfan became more aware of Jiuhua Mountain’s conditions, he began to feel a trace of respect for Zhang Hualing. Reflecting on Zhang Hualing’s governance of Jiuhua Gate over the years, though his actions seemed harsh, they were for the sake of Jiuhua Gate. Despite the gate’s weakened state, Zhang Hualing has managed to maintain its reputation as a Holy Land, and in recent years, has even led Jiuhua Gate towards revival. Sometimes, Xu Qingfan puts himself in Zhang Hualing’s shoes and realizes that he couldn’t have achieved the same.

With these conflicting feelings of disdain and respect, Xu Qingfan always kept his distance from Zhang Hualing, not knowing how to face him.

But now, because of Zhang Hualing’s words, Xu Qingfan was alone in Linghua Hall. In the vast, empty hall, only Xu Qingfan and Zhang Hualing remained.

Zhang Hualing continued to sit quietly in the head seat, looking at Xu Qingfan with a calm expression, seemingly pondering something. Xu Qingfan, after hearing Zhang Hualing’s words, silently returned to his original standing position, waiting for Zhang Hualing to speak. At the same time, his mind was racing, trying to guess why Zhang Hualing had asked him to stay.

Is it because of the Newcomer Competition? As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Xu Qingfan dismissed it. There were five participants in the Newcomer Competition, with Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan being stronger than Xu Qingfan. If it were related to the competition, it wouldn’t make sense to only keep Xu Qingfan behind.

Is it due to the matter of the Southern Wasteland? Xu Qingfan immediately rejected this idea as well. He had only mentioned the issue of the Southern Wasteland to Jin Qinghan and Liu Huaxiang, both of whom were discreet. Moreover, the disciples from Penance Valley and Qingxu Gate rarely descended the mountain, and even less often came to Jiuhua Mountain, so this news likely hadn’t reached Zhang Hualing’s ears yet.

Could it be because of Ting’er? Xu Qingfan suddenly thought of this possibility, causing his heart to skip a beat. Among the five participants in the Newcomer Competition, Xu Qingfan was the least conspicuous. He had always acted low-key within Jiuhua Gate, and except for a year spent traveling, he hadn’t done anything notable. The only event that might have caught Zhang Hualing’s attention was Ting’er’s matter.

Xu Qingfan knew that bringing Ting’er to Jiuhua Mountain would not escape Zhang Hualing’s notice. So, when he first came with Ting’er, he had already prepared an explanation. However, over the past two years, no one from Jiuhua Gate had inquired about it, leading Xu Qingfan to believe that Zhang Hualing didn’t care. He did not expect that after two years, trouble might arise.

Seeing the slight tension on Xu Qingfan’s face, a hint of a smile appeared on Zhang Hualing’s tired face. It seemed he saw through Xu Qingfan’s thoughts and said, "Don’t worry, I didn’t keep you here because of your niece Ting’er’s matter."

"Thank you, Sect Master," Xu Qingfan said, bowing slightly to Zhang Hualing.

Hearing Zhang Hualing mention Ting’er, Xu Qingfan was a little startled but calmed down when he heard that Zhang Hualing didn’t intend to delve deeper. However, he grew more curious about the reason Zhang Hualing kept him behind.

Zhang Hualing noticed Xu Qingfan’s initial surprise and confusion at his words, which quickly settled into a calm expression. Satisfied, Zhang Hualing nodded and suddenly changed the topic, asking, "Do you still hold a grudge against me for what happened twenty years ago?"

Twenty years ago, after Xu Qingfan’s master Lu Huayan passed away, Zhang Hualing not only confiscated Lu Huayan’s artifacts and home but also wanted Xu Qingfan and others to acknowledge a different master, which Xu Qingfan refused outright. Hearing Zhang Hualing bring up this matter, Xu Qingfan was slightly taken aback, unsure why Zhang Hualing would ask this now. He paused briefly, then lowered his head and said slowly, "No grudge, but there is resentment."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Zhang Hualing was momentarily stunned, then a trace of approval flashed across his face. He had thought Xu Qingfan would either directly admit or deny, but he didn’t expect such an answer. It seems Xu Qingfan has truly matured over the years.

Zhang Hualing looked at the disciple standing quietly in front of him and slowly said, "Since you say so, I am relieved. I have no desire to explain past events to you, but I hope you can give your best in the Newcomer Competition and bring honor to our school."

As he spoke, a hint of purple light appeared on Zhang Hualing’s fingertips, and he gently pointed at Xu Qingfan. A soft purple glow flickered across Xu Qingfan’s white robe, and after a while, the light faded away. Upon looking again, three fine purple lines had appeared on the edges of Xu Qingfan’s robe.

Seeing the change in his robe, Xu Qingfan was greatly surprised and hurriedly cupped his hands to Zhang Hualing, saying, "Sect Master, I fear that with my abilities, I cannot bear such heavy responsibility."

It turns out that the Newcomer Competition is not like the one within Jiuhua Gate where participants compete on stage under the watchful eyes of everyone. Instead, the six Holy Lands agree on a relatively difficult task, and then the disciples participating in the Newcomer Competition must complete it. The rankings are based on the speed and quality with which the disciples from each school complete the task.

Due to the challenging nature of these tasks, each school sends five disciples to work together in the Newcomer Competition. Because five people are needed for this, one among them must have exceptional leadership skills to direct the other four in completing the task. The three purple lines on Xu Qingfan’s robe are the symbol of this leadership.

This is why Xu Qingfan was so surprised to see the change in his robe and kept declining the responsibility.

"Oh? Then who do you think is more suitable?" Zhang Hualing asked calmly, without any hint of surprise on his face upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s refusal.

Hearing Zhang Hualing’s question, Xu Qingfan was about to nominate Jin Qinghan but paused slightly, suddenly understanding what Zhang Hualing had in mind.

If Jin Qinghan were chosen as the leader, even if Feng Qingtian hadn’t originally desired the position, he might feel uncomfortable. Conversely, if Feng Qingtian were to be the leader, Jin Qinghan would also be uneasy. Moreover, given their prideful personalities, it’s hard to believe they would have good organizational skills. As for the others, Lv Qingshang is lazy and unmotivated, while Wang Qingjun is reclusive and quiet, making them unsuitable for the role. Therefore, among the five disciples in the Newcomer Competition, only Xu Qingfan seems capable of leading.

Thinking about this, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but smile wryly, realizing he could no longer refuse. He then bowed to Zhang Hualing and said, "I will do my utmost best."

To be honest, Xu Qingfan didn’t want to be the leader. He knew his own nature was easygoing and unambitious, and he didn’t like taking on heavy responsibilities.

Moreover, being the leader isn’t easy. Firstly, Xu Qingfan’s strength isn’t necessarily greater than Feng Qingtian’s or Jin Qinghan’s, so it might be difficult to command respect. More importantly, although each of the five disciples representing Jiuhua Gate in the Newcomer Competition is exceptionally skilled, there are many underlying tensions. Jin Qinghan and Feng Qingtian are in constant rivalry; ten years ago, Jin Qinghan severely injured Lv Qingshang, so Lv Qingshang might still hold a grudge. Adding Wang Qingjun’s reclusive nature, the leadership position is likely to be challenging and thankless, despite its honor.

Noticing that Xu Qingfan appeared calm but with worry and helplessness in his eyes, Zhang Hualing smiled slightly and asked, "Are you afraid you might not have the ability to lead others?"

Hearing Zhang Hualing ask this, Xu Qingfan candidly admitted, "With my strength and reputation, I’m afraid it might be hard to win everyone over."

"Actually, you shouldn’t underestimate yourself," Zhang Hualing said. "I’ve observed your progress over the years. From your experience working with cultivators from Qingxu Gate and Penance Valley to defeat demon cultivators in the Southern Wasteland, it’s clear that while you are naturally laid-back, you are also decisive and clever, which makes you quite capable of leading a group in completing tasks. You have more experience in adapting to situations than others, at least. Moreover, you’re now able to preliminarily harness the power of the Wutong branch, making your strength not much different from Feng Qingtian’s and Jin Qinghan’s, and your ability should command respect."

Xu Qingfan was slightly surprised to hear Zhang Hualing’s words, as he hadn’t expected Zhang Hualing to know about his Southern Wasteland adventure or his connection to the Wutong branch. Xu Qingfan quickly guessed it was "Herb Garden" Martial Uncle Liu who had informed Zhang Hualing. Martial Uncle Liu was the only one aware of these things, and if he shared them with Zhang Hualing, it indicated a close relationship between the two. Such matters among seniors weren’t for Xu Qingfan to question, so he bowed again and said, "I understand."

Seeing Xu Qingfan agree to the matter, Zhang Hualing nodded slightly, then stood up from his seat and said to Xu Qingfan, "Let’s go outside. The others are probably getting impatient."

Saying this, Zhang Hualing took the lead and walked towards the exit of the hall, with Xu Qingfan quickly following behind him.

However, as they were about to leave the grand hall, Zhang Hualing seemed to remember something and casually said to Xu Qingfan, "That Wang Qingjun isn’t simple. You should pay extra attention this time, you might discover something."

Hearing Zhang Hualing’s words, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback.

Pay extra attention to Wang Qingjun? Was he supposed to watch over Wang Qingjun? Or protect Wang Qingjun? Or perhaps Wang Qingjun had some kind of secret? Though Zhang Hualing had mentioned it casually, Xu Qingfan knew that with Zhang Hualing’s personality, speaking now must have deeper meaning. But just as he was about to ask something, Zhang Hualing had already left the grand hall and was heading toward the disciples waiting outside.

By this time, Zhou Huahai had finished explaining the things to be mindful of when leaving, leaving the square in silence. Clearly, they were all waiting for Zhang Hualing and Xu Qingfan. So as Zhang Hualing walked out of Linghua Hall, everyone’s eyes naturally turned to him, and then to Xu Qingfan, evidently curious about what the two had discussed in the hall.

When they saw the three purple marks on Xu Qingfan’s loose white robe, everyone’s eyes showed surprise and confusion, including the elders of Jiuhua Gate. It was clear that Zhang Hualing had not discussed appointing Xu Qingfan as the leader for the Newcomer Competition with them.

The other four participants in the Newcomer Competition had different expressions. Although Jin Qinghan seemed a bit disappointed, he was mostly happy. Feng Qingtian gave a light snort, his eyes showing a hint of disdain. Lv Qingshang appeared somewhat puzzled. As for Wang Qingjun, his expression remained as calm as usual.

Even though everyone was watching him, Xu Qingfan was lost in thought over Zhang Hualing’s words and didn’t pay much attention. He silently moved next to Jin Qinghan again, casually glancing at Wang Qingjun, but didn’t notice anything unusual.

After leaving Linghua Hall, Zhang Hualing walked straight towards Lv Qingshang’s master. As he approached, he greeted him politely, "Junior Brother Hou, Junior Brother Zhou and I are about to take our disciples to the Newcomer Competition. Please take extra care of the mountain’s defenses while we are away."

"Of course, rest assured, sect leader. There won’t be any problems here," Lv Qingshang’s master guaranteed.

Hearing their conversation, Xu Qingfan finally discovered the identity of Lv Qingshang’s master. He was the third most important person in Jiuhua Gate, right after Zhang Hualing and Zhou Huahai, responsible for overseeing the protective formation of Jiuhua Mountain—Hou Huawei.

The protective formation of Jiuhua Mountain is called the "Nine Palaces Formation" and is extremely famous in the Cultivation World. The number "nine" represents the ultimate, and the "Nine Palaces Formation" is a complex formation made by layering countless advanced arrays together, making it incredibly powerful. It was established by the founding master of Jiuhua Sect, "Jiuhua Zhenren," and over thousands of years, many talented individuals from Jiuhua Sect have continuously improved and added to it. The "Nine Palaces Formation" has undoubtedly become one of the top formations in the Cultivation World.

Over Jiuhua Mountain’s several thousand years of history, numerous crises have occurred, some even threatening its very existence. However, all dangers were averted under the protection of the "Nine Palaces Formation". Some have even said, "As long as the ‘Nine Palaces Formation’ remains unbroken, Jiuhua Gate will never be defeated." Therefore, the "Nine Palaces Formation" is said to be the foundation of Jiuhua Mountain. Even 800 years ago, when Jiuhua Gate suffered great losses in strength, it was not destroyed by other sects. Besides Zhang Hualing’s painstaking efforts, the "Nine Palaces Formation" also played a crucial role.

Because of the importance of the "Nine Palaces Formation," the elders responsible for its operation must possess not only high spiritual cultivation but also extensive knowledge of array formations. They hold a prestigious position in Jiuhua Gate, second only to the Master of Jiuhua and the Supreme Protector, and are known as the "Protective Elders". However, since they must always keep a watchful eye on the operation of the "Nine Palaces Formation," the "Protective Elders" rarely appear in Jiuhua Mountain. Thus, Xu Qingfan only now learned the identity of Lv Qingshang’s master.

Now that Xu Qingfan knows the identity of Lv Qingshang’s master, it all makes sense to him. Only a "Protective Elder" with a profound understanding of array formations could teach a disciple like Lv Qingshang, who excels in formations and talismans.

And because Hou Huawei holds such a revered position and is responsible for the crucial "Nine Palaces Formation," Zhang Hualing made sure to especially instruct him before departing.

"Huh?"

By Xu Qingfan’s side, Lv Qingshang reacted in surprise upon hearing Hou Huawei’s words.

Seeing Lv Qingshang’s surprised expression, Xu Qingfan curiously asked, "Senior Brother Lv, what’s wrong?"

Lv Qingshang frowned in confusion and said, "This morning, my master told me that he would give the task of maintaining the ‘Nine Palaces Formation’ to other elders, while he would go with the sect leader to watch me in the Newcomer Competition. But for some reason, he suddenly changed his mind."

Seeing Lv Qingshang’s somewhat disappointed look, Xu Qingfan comforted him, "Perhaps Martial Uncle Hou thinks that the operation of the ‘Nine Palaces Formation’ cannot do without him. After all, with most elders going to watch the Newcomer Competition, the strength within the sect is lacking, and if Martial Uncle Hou also leaves without overseeing the ‘Nine Palaces Formation,’ it might give an opportunity to those with ill intentions. After all, the bigger picture is what matters."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Lv Qingshang’s expression improved, and he returned to his usual lazy demeanor, smiling as he said, "I know, Junior Brother Xu, don’t worry. To be honest, with my master around, it’s hard to feel free; one is constrained in everything, it’s quite bothersome."

Just then, Zhang Hualing settled the other elders staying at Jiuhua Gate and then walked to the disciples on the square once again, glanced at everyone slowly, but didn’t say much more. He simply waved his hand lightly and said, "Let’s go."

As Zhang Hualing waved his hand, several elders behind him formed hand signs, and suddenly a massive white cloud appeared beneath everyone’s feet. Under the watchful eyes of the disciples and elders left behind, it swiftly carried dozens of elders and hundreds of disciples off the square and swiftly flew out of Jiuhua Mountain.

…

Watching Zhang Hualing and the others leave were not only the elders who were to stay at Jiuhua Gate on the square. In a lavishly decorated room on the mountainside, an old man in black stood by the window, silently watching as a huge white cloud suddenly rose from the square, dense with figures. After ascending into the sky, it quickly flew out of Jiuhua Mountain.

As the massive white cloud carried everyone away, it became smaller and smaller with increasing distance until it turned into a black dot and finally disappeared. The old man sighed lightly and said softly, "It is finally about to begin."

"Hiss… Yes, our plan is about to begin. Hiss…" Just as the elder’s words fell, a strange voice suddenly echoed from a corner of the room, sounding wicked and eerie, with a hint of impatience.

Hearing this voice, the elder frowned slightly, a trace of disgust flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He turned and looked at the figure hidden in the shadows of the room, saying, "I remember the person who contacted me before wasn’t you."

"The previous person, hiss… is now with Zhang Hualing attending the Newcomer Comparison. From today, I will be in charge of Jiuhua Gate’s affairs. Hiss…" the strange voice sounded again, this time with a hint of smugness. "And it doesn’t matter if I’m different from the previous person, hiss… because we are both the master’s servants."

Hearing this, the elder frowned again and asked, "Oh? He went to participate in the Newcomer Comparison too? Who is he?"

"Who is he? Of course, he is a disciple of Jiuhua Gate. Hiss… And as for why he has to join the Newcomer Comparison too, hiss… don’t you want to become the sect leader of Jiuhua Gate? How can you do that if Zhang Hualing doesn’t die?"

"Hmph…!" The elder snorted coldly, turning again to look out the window, as if he didn’t want to see the hideous and strange face in the shadows, and said slowly, "Although I want to become the sect leader of Jiuhua Gate, I don’t wish for Jiuhua Gate to suffer a great loss in power. I hope your master knows this."

"Hiss… Wasn’t this plan orchestrated by you? Rest assured, hiss… Jiuhua Gate’s strength won’t suffer any major damage, only Zhang Hualing’s loyal followers will perish. Hiss…"

"Hmph! Although my plan is foolproof, I’m not aware of what plans you have." The elder said displeasedly.

"Our plan is to fully cooperate with your plan. Hiss… then, after you become the sect leader of Jiuhua Gate, to retrieve my master’s heart from your hands. Hiss…" If the old man in black turned to face him at this moment, he would notice a sarcastic smile on the face hidden in the shadows. "Moreover, although over the years my family master has accumulated some covert forces within Jiuhua Gate, hiss… they are utterly incapable of shaking the foundation of Jiuhua Gate, hiss… let alone breaking through Jiuhua Gate’s ‘Nine Palaces Formation,’ you know this."

"I hope so," the old man looked up at the morning glow on the horizon and slowly said.

…

Meanwhile, on the summit of Jiuhua Mountain, an incredibly aged man was also watching Zhang Hualing and his companions depart on the clouds. His gaze was distant, as if he was reminiscing about some unforgettable memories from years gone by.

After a long time, a mysterious smile flitted across the old man’s face, and he softly said, "Five hundred years, my old friend, are we going to meet again?"